2. That bite of Stan’s peanut butter-filled donut probably saved my ass. Not to mention that it was delicious.

3. All that coffee was a big help too.

4. Wrong turns = more uphills.

5. Windy day + big hat = side trips down and up steep loose inclines to retrieve hat that inevitably blows away.

Where it all began

6. The park rangers have terrific maps of the park, and will give one to you if you ask nicely.

7. Griffith Park is gigantic, and the areas around the Observatory are but a speck. If you search Metblogs for “Griffith Park,” you’ll find many postscovering and paying tribute to this grand asset.

8. I find it impossible to hit the steps and terraces of Griffith Observatory and not think about “Rebel Without a Cause” every time (extra meaningful at this time due to Dennis Hopper‘s recent passing*).

One of the great discoveries that many Los Angeles area residents make, hopefully shortly after moving here, is that it’s possible, even easy, to revel in a peaceful, natural setting just moments from the cars, crowds, and donut shops that populate our city. I knew I liked living here for a reason.

I don’t have a cure for a Doughnut Coma, but I do know the feeling.UGGH!! Perhaps you should have strapped your coffee machine on your back for the hike because I know that the caffeine in coffee definately does not increase the risk of cardiovascular disease nor is it associated with increasing the risk of a stroke. Just as well you had all that coffee!!

All I know is that since the donut summit, the time of my daily run has been improving by roughly a minute a day. Therefore, scientifically, if I eat enough donuts I’ll eventually turn into The Flash. The fat, fat Flash.

Hi Matt, the health benefits of coffee are remarkable, obviously done in moderation like everything else!!:) I recently purchased a home bean to cup coffee machine that does the whole range of italian coffee’s. It not only makes me the perfect host as can experiment with different coffee recipes but also has improved my speed of rapid information processing and definately helps counteract the normal “post lunch” dip in concentration and keeps me alert. It’s great!